Hebrew-language Catholic catechism

It was reported from Jerusalem on January 20 by the Catholic News Agency that the initial parts of a Hebrew-language Catholic catechism have been printed for youth. These children are the descendants of Christians who have historically resided in Palestine, but also foreign workers living in the region.

The Hebrew catechism translation effort was undertaken by Jesuit Fr. David Neuhaus, the vicar to the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem (with the assistance of the Franciscan Custodian of the Holy Land, Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and 35 Hebrew-speaking families) who explained:

These books are necessary for Hebrew-speaking children, born in the country, so they may have access in Hebrew to the teaching that explains what our faith is and our practice as Catholics.

Fr. Neuhaus stated this work was important as the children of foreign workers are required to attend public schools where the educational standards are “very good”, but due to the effects of a Jewish cultural environment the Christian students often "do not know the Church".

So, our catechesis books… serve this population, even when it isn't their own rite [some are Eastern Rite]. We insist on Christian formation. Christian in a secular and Jewish environment.

Father added that these new catechism books will help the youth to have "a sense of the Church and of being Christian, a sense of joy."

Ancient Hebrew is one of the sacred languages of the Church, as seen by the well-known liturgical expressions of “Amen”, “Alleluia”, “Sabbaoth” and angelic names “Michael”, “Raphael” and “Gabriel”. It was also the language that Christ publicly prayed in¾as dramatically attested when He cried out from the cross the first verse of Psalm 22: “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

Dwindling numbers at Bethlehem Catholic University

As reported by EWTN on January 25, the Bethlehem Catholic University had some news: due to the Israeli West Bank wall, the number of staff and students is dwindling. The institution was founded in 1973 by the De La Salle Christian Brothers and the Vatican and is the only Catholic university in the Holy Land.

University Vice President of Development, Br. Jack Curran, stated during a visit to Rome on January 18:

We lose students but we also lose faculty who have been teaching at the University and who come from Jerusalem but don’t want to go through that humiliation [of the wall's checkpoints] every day…

EWTN described the Israeli version of the Berlin Wall:

The barrier is a 26 foot wall erected by Israel to separate itself from the Palestinian-controlled West Bank. Israel says the wall protects them from Palestinian terrorism. Opponents of the wall say it breaks international law and illegally annexes parts of Palestinian territory.

Bethlehem Catholic University sits close to the wall on the Palestinian side, but many of its students come from East Jerusalem, which lies on the Israeli side.

Br. Curran, an American from New York, further explained:

There are students, now about 20 percent of students, who go through the checkpoints of the wall every day, twice a day, coming and going...

[the students] …tell us the hardest part is not going through the wall but the thoughts about what happens when you're on your way to the wall: 'Will I be strip searched or taken off the bus and forced to sit in the sun for an hour or two, or will it be that I'm waved through?...

…Amazingly, their spirits are still very positive and upbeat and they come every day... They have a choice to come or not. But they do come and we're grateful that they do.

The burden on the staff though has become increasingly significant, causing some to simply find teaching positions elsewhere.

Interestingly though, Br. Curran opinioned that Pope Benedict XVI’s recent visit to the Holy Land had some positive effect both with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, for whom he had some “tough” words. Brother hopes that not only will the Holy See, but also:

...the rest of the international community to be likewise critical of the injustices wherever they occur, whether they are on the Israeli side or the Palestinian side.

May True Peace, which only Christ can give, return to the Holy Land soon.